Guy Wilkinson

Abstract:

The partial decay width of the Z to bb̄ quark pairs has been measured by the DELPHI detector at LEP using data taken in the years 1992 to 1995. Decays of b-hadrons were tagged by several methods using tracks with large impact parameters and/or reconstructed secondary vertices, complemented by event shape variables. Combining these methods in a multivariate analysis the value Γ(Z → bb̄)/Γ(Z → had) = 0.21634 ± 0.00067 (stat) ± 0.00060 (syst) was obtained, where the cc̄ production fraction was fixed to its Standard Model value.

Abstract:

Searches for HZ production with the Higgs boson decaying into an invisible final state have been performed with the data collected by the DELPHI experiment up to the centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The hadronic and muon pair final states of the Z boson were analysed. From the absence of signal, upper limits on the cross-section and the corresponding Higgs boson mass limits were set at 95% confidence level. The results are interpreted as excluded parameter regions in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model and in the simplest Majoron model with one Higgs doublet and one Higgs singlet field. © 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract:

Infrared and collinear safe event shape distributions and their mean values are determined using the data taken at five different centre of mass energies above MZ with the DELPHI detector at LEP. From the event shapes, the strong coupling αS is extracted in θ(αS2), NLLA and a combined scheme using hadronisation corrections evaluated with fragmentation model generators as well as using an analytical power ansatz. Comparing these measurements to those obtained at MZ, the energy dependence (running) of αS is accessible. The logarithmic energy slope of the inverse strong coupling is measured to be d αS-1/d log (Ecm) = 1.39 + 0.34(stat) + 0.17(syst), in good agreement with the QCD expectation of 1.27. © 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract:

Inclusive charged hadron distributions as obtained from the DELPHI measurements at 130, 136, 161, 172 and 183 GeV are presented as a function of the variables rapidity, ξp, p and transversal momenta. Data are compared with event generators and with MLLA calculations, in order to examine the hypothesis of local parton hadron duality. The differential momentum spectra show an indication for coherence effects in the production of soft particles. The relation between the energy dependence of the charged multiplicity and the rapidity distribution is examined. © 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract:

Knowledge of the centre-of-mass energy at LEP2 is of primary importance to set the absolute energy scale for the measurement of the W-boson mass. The beam energy above 80 GeV is derived from continuous measurements of the magnetic bending field by 16 NMR probes situated in a number of the LEP dipoles. The relationship between the fields measured by the probes and the beam energy is calibrated against precise measurements of the average beam energy between 41 and 55GeV made using the resonant depolarisation technique. The linearity of the relationship is tested by comparing the fields measured by the probes with the total bending field measured by a flux loop. This test results in the largest contribution to the systematic uncertainty. Several further corrections are applied to derive the centre-of-mass energies at each interaction point. In addition, the centre-of-mass energy spread is evaluated. The beam energy has been determined with a precision of 25 MeV for the data taken in 1997, corresponding to a relative precision of 2.7 × 10-4. This is small in comparison to the present uncertainty on the W mass measurement at LEP. However, the ultimate statistical precision on the W mass with the full LEP2 data sample should be around 25 MeV, and a smaller uncertainty on the beam energy is desirable. Prospects for improvements are outlined.